Our Crowdfunding Groups
For my birthday this year, I am fundraising for a program at UCLA that’s very close to my heart: 3 Wishes. 3 Wishes grants dying wishes to critically ill patients at UCLA, and is the first program of its kind in the U.S.
I learned about this program through my work a couple years ago, and have continued to be inspired to help in any way I could. I’ve had the incredible privilege of working closely with one of the doctors who started 3 Wishes, Dr. Thanh Neville, as well as meeting some of the family members of patients who participated in the program. I have been moved over and over again by how deeply this program impacts patients, families, and even nurses at UCLA. One nurse shared, “When medicine cannot do any more magic, our magic is through the 3 Wishes program.”
At the end of life, it’s the small things that matter. 3 Wishes has hosted wedding ceremonies from hospital rooms, brought in an entire mariachi band to perform, set up a bedside beauty salon, created a last “date night” experience, and provides keepsakes for family members to remember their loved one by (to name just a few things). This is all provided at no cost to patients or their families, and is almost entirely supported by donations.
The wishes patients have are often so simple and inexpensive, yet make a world of difference to them and their families. I hope you’ll read a little more about the program below and help grant someone's wish. The average cost of a wish is just $30!
3 WISHES PHOTO GALLERY
Patients in the ICU face critical illness and sometimes, difficult end-of-life decisions. The 3 Wishes Program is almost entirely donor-supported and provides the best possible end of life experience for patients and families by celebrating lives and supporting the grieving process.
The 3 Wishes Program began in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (RRUMC) in December 2017. Thanks to overwhelming positive feedback from patients and families, and generous contributions, 3 Wishes has expanded to 7 units at RRUMC and the UCLA Santa Monica Hospital.
We honor our patients' wishes to the best of our ability to meet the following goals:
The 3 Wishes Program was first introduced in Canada in 2013. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is the first hospital in the U.S. to adopt the program in its Medical Intensive Care Unit. Drs. Thanh Neville and Peter Phung launched the 3 Wishes Program and hope to see it grow to benefit even more patients. Since its inception in December 2017, the program has granted over 1,000 wishes for over 300 patients.
3 Wishes has gained the ability to continue its mission through generous donations.
Donations ensure that we have the resources to create meaningful, dignified memories for patients and their families during otherwise difficult times.
Thank you in advance for your kindness, generosity, and for helping the 3 Wishes Program honor patients' lives and create positive memories for their loved ones.
If you do not wish to receive further fundraising information from UCLA Health Sciences, please either call us at (855) 364-6945 or email us at hsd_optoutucla@mednet.ucla.edu providing your name, address, phone number, email, and from which department you're requesting to be removed. Please review UCLA and the UCLA Foundation’s Disclosure Statements for Prospective Donors at www.uclafoundation.org/disclosures
You can give a family a lasting memory of their loved one. Your gift will help us provide families with a thumbprint keychain, a hair keepsake, or a framed word cloud.
The average cost of a patient's wish is modest: just $30. The impact the granted wish has on the patient, their family, and their care team is truly priceless.